Mets fans packed the house for a special homecoming, and their prized players knew exactly how to respond to their love.
The Citi Field parking lot was full hours before the first pitch of the Mets’ 5-0 win over the Blue Jays on Friday. Fans streamed into the ballpark early to get a first look at Juan Soto in orange and blue threads. It seemed like there were paper signs with Soto’s face and name in every section of the stadium. When he finally stepped up to the plate in the first inning, fans were living and dying on every pitch. It was a moment that was years in the making. Mets fans had been dreaming about Soto playing in Queens long before he signed the richest contract ($765 million over 15 years) in Major League Baseball history.
After a couple of tough at-bats, Soto finally collected his first hit at home as a Met in the sixth inning with an RBI double to the right-field corner. There was a collective exhale from the crowd that watched him pop up and ground out in his first two plate appearances. Outfielder Brandon Nimmo said he’s noticed that Soto has been getting pitched to like Barry Bonds. But when Soto did get a pitch to hit on Friday, he didn’t miss.
“We knew he was going to come through,” shortstop Francisco Lindor said. “It’s just a matter of time. He’s a showman. He’s one of those guys that when the lights are on and everyone’s on top of him, he’s going to perform.”
“It was the perfect day for baseball,” Soto said. “Everything went our way.”
The fans had plenty of love to go around, because there’s no shortage of stars on the 2025 roster.
Pete Alonso, in full force, is back where he belongs. The Mets first baseman heard “Pe-te Al-on-so!” chants reverberating throughout the stadium when he walked up to the plate in the first inning. Lindor’s leadoff double sparked the opening frame and Alonso drove him home with a two-run homer to the opposite field in his first at-bat back at Citi Field since his lengthy free agency.
“This is home for him,” Lindor said. “This is home.”
The sellout crowd of 43,955 — the ninth-largest regular-season attendance in Citi Field history — roared as Alonso rounded the bases and high-fived his teammates at home plate. Moments later, Alonso popped back out of the dugout, turned around and tipped his cap for a curtain call.
“That type of stuff is what you dream about as a kid,” Alonso said. “To have that type of support being reciprocated, it’s really special. I enjoyed every second of it.”
“That’s why they call him the Polar Bear,” Soto said of Alonso’s performance.
Welcome back, indeed. Nostalgia aside, Alonso hasn’t wasted time changing the narrative of his production at the plate.
There were a lot of questions going into the year about who would protect Soto in the lineup, particularly since Alonso didn’t sign with the Mets until the middle of February. Then, once he did agree to come back to the Mets on a two-year, $54 million deal, which includes a player opt-out after the 2025 season, there were more questions about whether Alonso could bounce back after his underwhelming 2024 contract year.
He did, after all, struggle to hit with runners in scoring position last season. Alonso’s .232 batting average with RISP was well below the league-average (.252) in those situations. Until Alonso’s unforgettable home run against closer Devin Williams that sent Amazins to the National League Division Series, a sizable portion of the Mets fan base was content with letting their beloved Polar Bear walk away in free agency. New Yorkers and Janet Jackson often ask the same question: What have you done for me lately?
“I didn’t want to imagine it,” outfielder Brandon Nimmo said of the possibility of Alonso signing elsewhere in free agency. “There was a time this offseason where things were getting pretty sticky there at the end. We were definitely worried. But I’m glad we don’t have to worry about that anymore. We’re sitting here with Juan Soto and Pete Alonso right in the middle of our lineup. That’s two guys that are really hard to pitch to.”
Lately, Alonso has been the only hitter doing damage for the Mets in the biggest moments. His first-inning blast on Friday was his third home run in his last four games. Alonso tied Wednesday’s game against the Marlins with a clutch three-run home run that helped the Mets extend the game into extra innings before they won in the 11th. Alonso is so locked in so far this season that when he drew a walk in the 11th inning, he didn’t move from the box. He was champing at the bit to get another ball to drive. That eager anticipation carried into Friday’s home opener, when the slugger pounced on right-hander Kevin Gausman’s fifth pitch.
Alonso has a 1.090 OPS to start the year. His 10 RBIs are tied for the third-most by a Met through his first seven games of the season. For all the drama and mystery of his free agency this past winter, it’s hard to envision Alonso playing for any other team.
“Envisioning coming back, for me, it was all about winning,” Alonso said. “Knowing the culture here, knowing the guys, knowing the camaraderie, you need a great combination of talent, hard work and chemistry. And obviously, this place is familiar. Love playing at Citi, love being in New York. It checks all those boxes for me. For me, it’s the best option. And it’s such an easy decision to come back.”
Soto and Alonso represent a formidable 1-2 punch in the Mets lineup; a pair of sluggers that showed their potential for greatness in the home opener. Soto is only seven games into his 15-year contract, and already his Mets teammates expect him to do something impactful every time he’s at the plate. The Mets already know what Alonso can do when he’s feeling confident. He’s just 24 homers away from surpassing Darryl Strawberry for hitting the most home runs in Mets franchise history. When Soto signed with the Mets in December, there was the sense that Alonso had to return to the team that drafted him to make their blockbuster offseason worth it.
Friday’s home-opening victory finally brought it all together. For a Mets fan base that has had to endure too many heartbreaks to count, it can revel in the fact that what we saw at Citi Field was no mirage. It’s just the beginning of this fearsome duo in Queens.
Deesha Thosar is a MLB reporter and columnist for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets for four years as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
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